Tuesday, 29 November 2016

“Oh
believers gather around and start praying, for the devil has arrived!” Joseph
Kumalo is not alone in blaming the devil for ‘changes’ he is not happy with.
For Kumalo, South African cities in the early 1960s were dens of iniquity
corrupting the traditions and values of rural folk. Drinking, smoking
marijuana, gambling, fighting were the work of the devil.

We
have all encountered a few “devils” of our own this year, and I thought it a
good time to dig through my ‘new finds’ for a year-end Office Party shake-out. Welcome
to a bumper edition of the Electric Jive 2016 Durban Office Party. Sadly, unexpected
changes to my work-travel commitments prevent me from actually spinning these
discs, as planned, at the Electric Jive Office Party at Khaya Records on Friday
9th December. A party of one sort or another is still happening though. "Familiar Favourite" (Mxolisi Makubho) and Hotdog Fingarz of Fly
Machine Sessions are keeping their part of the bargain and will be coming
through from Johannesburg with some great tunes on vinyl. Make a note: Khaya Records, Durban – Friday evening 9th
December. I will leave a gift for the first thirty or so people who make it through the door. Thanks to Vusi of The Fly Machine Sessions for the graphic at the top of this post!

So,
herewith two hours of what I would have played, if I could have. First up is a
one-hour trip that sets off from the countryside with guitar and vocal
commentary from the late 1950s, early 60s, building up via violin jive through
Zulu blues, to early rock and roll. Victor Ndlazilwana (later of Jazz Ministers
fame) is credited with writing and playing on “Please do it oh Baby”, a song
that would not have been out of place on an Elvis album from that time.

The
merriment builds, morphing from rock-influenced marabi jive through to big-band
ska from the likes of Orlando Jazz Combo. Have a listen to Chris McGregor and the
Blue Notes playing Dudu Pukwana’s “Ndiyeke
Mra” and check out the strong ska influence! Likewise, Africa’s Hot Ten
(including Kippie Moeketsi and other jazz luminaries) showcase the deep well of
great talent and technical dedication from the time.

The
mix changes direction, revisiting some great brass-driven marabi jive tracks
from the likes of “The New Havana
Orchestra, The Shakers, and the The
Kwa Mashu Swingsters”. We warm down with the sweet vocals of the “Dark City
Sisters” and end as we began, artists referencing “Inhliziyo Yam” (my
disposition, or mood). Whereas Job Ndlangalala starts this set with a
hauntingly beautiful guitar track
telling of the circumstances that were ‘killing’ his mood, The Shakers end-off
with an upbeat simple finale.

So
– if you feel the need to cleanse, purge, indulge, exorcise, dance, this mix
can help. The 78rpm recordings are being shared as a single mix-tape. Sorry, no
separated tracks on this one.

I wish all visitors to Electric Jive happy holidays, and a much, much better 2017!

Sunday, 20 November 2016

A sultry, slow and unhurried Sunday morning
selection from the ASL drawers. Earlyish Congo Rumba, all except the last was pressed and sold in Kenya. A while back in this blog there was a great response
to three posts of ASL Congo singles (here, here,andhere) so, this next instalment is long overdue. This time with
some focus on a deep breath (it does that for me anyway) before the year-end madness.The mixtape version is for my own comfort during some upcoming travel time I have to put in. Separated tracks are also provided.

In my September 2012 ASL Singles post I
gave an outline of South African interests, particularly the Gallo Record Company’s
interests in establishing ASL.

Gallo Nairobi was established in the early 1950s. Following Kenya’s
independence in 1963 visible South African ownership of the company became a
problem, so Associated Sounds (East Africa) Pty Ltd (ASL) was set up as a dummy
company by Gallo in the United Kingdom. ASL had their own Kenyan pressing
plant.

ASL certainly released a huge
amount of Congolese and East African inspired Rumba and Soukous in the 70s and
80s, with the tracks easily stretching to five minutes each on the
micro-groove format.

Enjoy
your Sunday morning, or late night, whenever you feel like being soothed.

Wednesday, 16 November 2016

One comfort in an otherwise unsettling year
has been my own luck in finding some great second-hand records – 78rpm, 45rpm
and LPs. I had the good fortune of visiting Nairobi three times this year, and
meeting a long-time Congo-Kenya Rhumba collector who no longer wanted to keep his
vinyl collection, he wanted this music in digital format. So, come the summer
holiday break I will be spending some time keeping my promise to him. Before I share with you my start on that project, I must mention two great compilations
of Kenyan music that have this year been released world-wide. The sound reproduction on both
compilations is really excellent. My personal favourite is “Urgent Jumping: East
African Musiki Wa Dansi Classics” which features 27 tracks spanning close on
two and a half hours of music from Kenyan, Tanzanian and Congolese bands
that plied their trade across the region over the period 1972 - 1982.

“Kenya Special Volume 2” follows the
successful release by Soundway Records of volume one in 2013. This compilation
offers 20 tracks (90 minutes) sampling a wider variety of Kenyan music in the
1970s and 1980s.

Soundway reckon that the resurgence of
interest in African music from the 1960s to the 1980s is boosted by a curious
new generation of music lovers: “The approach to musical rediscovery that is
behind Kenya Special has its origins in a youthful movement of
vinyl collecting (and to some extent club culture), which has, in the past
decade and a half, carved out its own niche alongside the established music
industry.”

“Despite the renewed interest in music from Kenya’s past, finding these tracks
and their rights holders hasn’t become any easier. Only a handful of music
archives around the world harbour collections of Kenyan music, and just a few
private collectors in Kenya and abroad have been sharing catalogue info online
or privately. One of the problems with East African music of this era is that
much of it was originally released only on 45 rpm, seven-inch vinyl singles,
many of which were only ever produced in tiny runs of a few hundred. 45s with
their thin, paper sleeves do not age as well as LPs and are often far more
susceptible to the elements. The compilers of Kenya Special 2 have
gone to great lengths to disclose a small part of what is slowly being accepted
as an essential element of East Africa’s cultural heritage: the history of
recorded popular music.”

So, herewith a rather random sampling from
the pile of 45rpms that Henry sold me. Do leave a comment if you would like
more of the same.

1. Orch Bana Likasi: Lena Pts 1 & 2 (Kanema)

Outstanding vocalist Lovy Mokolo Longomba
was the son of Vicky Longomba, a founding member of OK Jazz. The Muzikifan
website (well worth a visit) tells us that Longomba moved to Nairobi in August
1978 and went through a string of bands, from Les Kinois, through Boma
Liwanza, to Orch Shika Shika. He
then formed the band Super Lovy in
May 1981. Bana Likasi was the same
band as Super Lovy, but was so named
to avoid a contractual conflict. Longomba died in 1996 in a car crash in
Tanzania.

2. Orch. Les Jaca: Sikia Pts 1 & 2 (Ligbutu)

This from the Muzikifan website: “Les Jaca was created by Lovy (Longomba) when
he decided to leave Super Mazembe in 1981. He went into the studio with Siama,
Tabu Frantal, Mandefu, Roy Mosanda and other friends, but the attempt bore no
fruit, so Lovy remained with Super Mazembe.”

3. L'Orch Baba National: Vituko Vya Mama
Mkwe Pts 1 & 2 (Baba Gaston)

One of the first Congolese musicians to
settle in East Africa (in 1971), first in Dar Es Salam, and then in 1976 in
Nairobi. Some reports indicate that Baba Gaston was not the easiest band leader
to work with, and in July 1976 most his band walked out on him to form their
own band, the highly successful Les
Mangalepa. Baba Gaston remained a super star in Nairobi until his
retirement in 1989.

4. Orch Les Wanyika: Nisaidie Baba Pts 1
& 2 (D.J. Ngereza) 1980.

An offshoot of Simba Wanyika formed by a group of Kenyan and Tanzanian musicians
left the band to form Les Wanyika.
Famous for classic Swahili rumba hit hits like Sina Makossa, Paulina and Pamela (these singles were even sold in
South Africa at the time). Band leader and guitarist John Ngereza composed this
song. In 2010, ten years after Ngereza died, four surviving members put aside
their differences and re-grouped and started playing again. You can read about
the reunion of Rashid Juma, Alfani Tommy Malanga, Sijali Zuwa
‘Usikajali’ and Joseph Justy ‘Yellow Man’ here.

Another off-shoot band though the details are not as clear. – this time from Super Volcano. Some sources say that Les Volcano were co-founded by Charles Ray
Kasembe and Mohamed Mazingazinga in 1976. Info on the Kentanza site suggests that Les Volcano came about following the death of Mbaraka Mwinishe (leader of Super Volcano) in 1979. Doug Paterson sees it the same way: "I don't think Les Volcano
was a group until after the death of Mbaraka Mwinshehe. I think Mbaraka
started Super Volcano after leaving Morogoro Jazz (in about 1974?). After
Mbaraka died, Ray Charles Kasembe tried to keep a subset of Super Volcano
members together under the name Les Volcanos. I don't think this group
existed prior to Mbaraka's death (I could be mistaken). I never had the
opportunity to see Super Volcano, though I went to the Kenya coast try to find
them in 1975 (just missed them)." Thanks Doug.

7. Orch. Super Bwambe: Atikapo Pts 1 &
2

Muzikifan tells us that John Negereza of
Les Wanyika was a member of this Congolese band that also included: George
Kalombo Mwanza, sax; John Ngereza, guitar; Chou chou, vocals; Kayembe Nyonga,
vocals; Luboya wa Tshiteyai; Matabu Kunyanga. With Thomy Lomboto, bass, and
Kabeya Ilombo from Viva Makale.

8. Orchestre Matonge: Pesa Moselebende Pts
1 & 2 (Jean-Claude K)

Named after the musical heart of Congo
Kinshasa, this was another of the bands that sold really well in Nairobi. I
cannot find much info on this band, though Tim Clifford on the ever useful
Kentanza Vinyl site says that the Kamanyola label is named “after an area in
eastern DRC Congo close to the Rwandan border. The name featured heavily in
Mobutu’s Zaire as in 1964 it was where the young army officer led troops in the
capture of a rebel-held bridge. When he rose to power, he named the
presidential yacht, an army division and Kinshasa’s sports stadium (now the
Stade des Martyrs) after this victory. There is still a Boulevard Kamanyola in
Lubumbashi. Appropriately enough, one of the roads leading off it is the Avenue
des Chutes - Falls or Collapses Avenue.”

Friday, 11 November 2016

Kenyan visitors to Electric Jive rank right
up there up at number nine in this blog’s all-time per-country hits, just ahead
of Colombia at number ten. Now feels like a good time to celebrate some more of
what current-day Kenyans call the “golden oldies” – the Congo-Kenya confluence back
in 1976.

This somewhat strange compilation LP
features an A side with sound effects recordings, and the B side a selection of
five great tracks associated somehow
with the “African Conference Nairobi January 1976.”

If
you are interested in learning more about Kenya’s rich musical history, there
are some great blogs and archives out there. For starters try some of these: Doug
Patterson’s East African Music
page; Alistair Johnson’s Muzikifan;
and Tim Clifford’s KenTanza Vinyl.

Saturday, 5 November 2016

A special recording. Besides being comprised of some outstanding funk-fusion meets early disco numbers featuring Bheki Mseleku and the rest of this talented band, these are the last recordings with the core band intact, made only two weeks before Henry Sithole and Bunny Luthuli were killed in a car crash.

Plenty has been written on this blog and elsewhere on this fine band. If you use the "search" function in the right-hand column you will find links to much more info and earlier albums.

Before "The Drive", the Sithole brothers formed the brass core of the Heshoo Beshoo group. Luthuli played with Almon's Jazz 8. After The Drive, various members went on to form Sakhile, and also Spirits Rejoice. And of course, there is the stellar rise to international fame of Bheki Mseleku.

The liner notes tell us that The Drive were on the brink of an "overseas tour" breakthrough.

"Right at the peak of their dazzling career when plans were laid to take the group overseas to engagements that would pace the way for international success - a fatal car accident claimed the live of the two who had worked so hard to achieve this these goals. Bunny Luthuli was married only a few months before his death. Henry Sithole leaves a wife and four children."

"Join us in remembering these two outstanding musicians through their music in this recording - made only two short weeks before their tragic death."
Like a number of other Drive albums, there is no record of who the musicians were. When the band formed in 1971, Duke Makasi and Mike Makhalamele were early members. Kaya Mahlangu, Sipho Gumede and Jabu Nkosi also spent time as members. As far as I can make out though, from around 1975 through to 1977 the band was pretty stable member-wise. One album that does list and picture the band members is the 1975 album "Can You feel It?". Based on this, my guess is as follows: The lead female vocalist featured is almost certainly Mavis Maseko.